People Change
by Karn Relique
Summary: When Cody starts acting differently, Bailey starts realizing how much he's changed. She finds comfort in an unexpected source. And starts learning some...strange things. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys. This is my first story, hope you enjoy it. Also, I'm writing in one of my original characters, so tell me what you think of him.

Cody and Bailey were having dinner on the Sky Deck, like they did every evening. Cody noticed that Bailey was just picking at her food, not really eating anything.

"Bailey, what's wrong? You've barely touched your food." Cody asked, worry.

Bailey sighed.

"Cody...I've just been thinking, and...nevermind, I don't want to seem like a worrywart."

Cody frowned.

"What? Tell me!" He said, raising his voice.

Bailey looked up, startled at his tone.

"I just..." she sighed, "It just seems like you've been avoiding me for the past few weeks."

Cody's eyes opened wide.

"What? Of course I haven't been trying to avoid you! You KNOW I've been busy with an experiment I've been working on!" He shouted.

"There's no need to shout, Cody! But it seems that every time I want to go and spend time with you, you make up some excuse like, 'Oh, well, I'm helping Woody with his homework.' or 'London asked me to help her count her money.' All I want is to spend more time with you than just seeing you at school and when we have dinner together! But that's no reason to start yelling at me!" Bailey shouted back.

Cody started breathing heavily.

"Bailey, if this is how you're going to act EVERY time that I'm busy and can't spend time with you, then maybe we shouldn't spend ANY time together! Is THAT what you want! For us to be split up again!" Cody was screaming at her now. Anybody who knew him would be surprised at his actions. Bailey was more shocked than anyone could've been, and started crying.

"Cody, I can't believe you can be such a JERK!" she screamed, and ran out of the room sobbing.

Cody just glared in the direction that she left.

"Whatever..." he muttered, and left with his hands in his pockets.

Only one person bothered paying attention to their conversation.

Sorry it was so short, guys. I had one of my friends yammering in my ear the whole time, so I couldn't concentrate on it. Tell me what you guys think. Constructive criticism welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey, if you're still reading, then hopefully you liked my short chapter. Didn't really explain what's going on, but this chapter should help makes some things clear.

"I don't know, man. I just...I don't really want to spend time with her anymore, you know?" Cody was sitting on his bed, talking to Woody.

"Don't look at me. The closest thing I'VE had to a girlfriend is Addison, and we all know how SHE is." Woody shrugged.

"Dammit, Woody, I need help! I'm not sure if I'm love her anymore...but I don't want to break her heart." Cody slammed his fist down on the bed, "What do I do?" he put his head in his hands.

"I don't know man...maybe you should just...let her down easy?" Woody suggested.

Cody looked up sharply.

"Let her down easy? We've been dating WAY too long for me to do that, Woody! No matter what I do, I'll break her heart. Unless I stay with her, but that would break MY heart. DAMMIT! Why does everything have to be so complicated?" Cody sighed.

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't." Woody said.

"No shit."

Bailey was sobbing her eyes out in her cabin. She didn't know where London was, and right now, she didn't care. How could Cody be such a jerk? He was so sweet and kind, not to mention generous. Yet he was shouting at Bailey just because she wanted to spend more time with him.

_What's going to happen to us? _she thought.

There was a knock on the cabin door.

She lifted up her head, and tried to make herself sound like she hadn't been crying all day.

"Who is it?" she said, sounding nasally.

"I have a package here, for a miss Bailey Pickett." came a voice from outside.

"Just leave it at the door, I'm...in the shower." She didn't want anybody to see her as she was, with her eyes puffy, and her cheeks blood-red.

She heard a slight thump outside the door, and waited a few minutes for the delivery man to go away. When she was sure he was gone, she got up, and opened the door, and gasped at the package left for her.

The package was seventeen red roses, with a note attached. She picked them up, and brought them inside, so she could read the note in privacy.

_They must be from Cody. He's trying to apologize. I'm not sure if I'm ready to forgive him._ She thought. Then she read the note.

_ Dear Miss Pickett:_

_I overheard your argument with Cody, and I thought that these might make you feel better. I know that you're hurting right now, and I know that you're confused as to why he's treating you this way. I wish I could say that I knew for sure why, but I can't. I have some ideas, but none that would make you feel any better. But be assured that he's not cheating on you. He's been faithful. So take heart in that, and just remember._

_People change. Who a person is isn't set in stone. People change all the time, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Just please feel better. I hope that, in time, when you feel ready, together we can work out why he's been treating you this way._

The note was signed Dante. Bailey didn't know any Dante. At first, she was freaked out. She thought someone was stalking her. But as she thought more about it, she realized that this, 'Dante,' was only trying to help her. At least he was trying to figure out why Cody was acting so differently towards her.

Dante smiled as he saw the roses and the note picked up by Bailey.

"Hopefully she'll start feeling better soon." he said, smiling, "Now...on to Cody."

A/N: What do you guys think? Like, don't like? Comments, opinions?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hmmm...wonder who this Dante guy is? You guys really wanna know? Then read on, dear readers!

A light tapping on the door woke Cody up. Rubbing his eyes, he got up, and, being careful to not wake up Woody, opened up the door. A guy he didn't recognize was standing there.

"Who the hell are you and why are you knocking on my door at," he looked over to the clock by his bedside, "at two in the morning?" he whispered fiercely.

The guy smiled, his brown eyes crinkling.

"I'm here to help you. That's all you need to know for now. So, here, read this." He handed Cody a small piece of paper.

Cody looked at the paper, trying to read it in the dark light.

"What am I supposed to do with..." he looked up, and stopped when he noticed the man was gone. He shrugged, and went back inside his cabin. He put the note inside his desk, and went back to sleep.

_I'll read it in the morning. Try to sort out all this nonsense. _he thought as he yawned, and fell back asleep.

A sound woke Bailey up. She looked at the clock.

_Two in the morning...I'm going to kill Addison if she's been running around outside again._ She thought as she got up, and stretched. She picked up and turned on the flashlight she kept next to her bed, and walked to the door. That's when she saw the note. She picked it up, and read it.

_Meet me in the Aqua Lounge at 3 pm. I'll be wearing a black leather jacket, and a black fedora._

It was from that Dante character again.

_Well, at least tomorrow will be somewhat interesting. Better than just staying in my room and crying my eyes out, I guess. _She shrugged, and put the note in her desk, and went back to sleep.

The first sound out of Cody's mouth when he woke up was a groan.

_ Why must things be so complicated?_ he thought. Then he remembered the note. He pulled out the note, and read it.

_Meet me in the Aqua Lounge at 3 pm. I'll be wearing a black leather jacket, and a black fedora._

It was signed Dante. Cody didn't know anyone named Dante. But...its not like he had any other plans.

The day went by pretty quickly for both Bailey and Cody. Bailey spent most of the day helping London sort her clothes. Cody spent the day folding the towels. At 3 pm, they both made their own ways to the Aqua Lounge.

_Where could he be? _Bailey thought, looking around the room. Then she spotted him, sitting in a corner of the room.

Cody entered the room, and looked around for the black jacket and fedora, when he spotted them in a corner. He made his way over to the guy.

When Bailey saw Dante, she made her way over to him.

The two collided, and both fell to the ground. Both looked up, rubbing their shoulders.

"Hey, what's the big...YOU!" They both cried at the same time.

A/N: End of another chapter. This one took me forever to write, because of people bothering to prolong pointless arguments that only serve to get on my nerves. Anyway, what's going to happen now? What is Dante planning? And what, my god WHAT IS DANTE'S LAST NAME! Well, you'll have to read the next chapter to find out. Have a good day!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys. Here's another chapter for you! But first...shout-outs! 

Cailey: Nope. Sorry to disappoint, but Dante is a character of my own creation. Good guess, though.

Courtney: I'll be updating often at first, but it may slow down eventually. I'm fuelled by creativity, so...sometimes it's a bit iffy. I'll try to keep the updates coming regularly, though.

Narwhal2107: Already replied to you, but figured I'd give you a shout out. Thanks for the support!

Thank you so much everyone, for all your support. It's really quite amazing when people support me. I'll try not to disappoint you guys, so keep on reading! Now...the moment you've all been waiting for...

"C-cody? What are you doing here?" Bailey asked, getting to her feet slowly.

Cody was just as flustered.

"W-well, I...came here to meet a friend of mine." He said, blinking. "What are YOU doing here?"

"Uh...well, I just wanted to...come here. Because...I like it..." She tried to explain.

"Enough. You're both here because I asked both of you to meet me here." The figure in the jacket and fedora turned around in his chair, and they both got their first good look at Dante.

He had short brown hair, and his eyes were a deep chocolate color. His figure was slim, but he was only of average height. He smiled at the two.

"So, we meet in daylight, at last. My name is Dante Tanos. And I'm here to help you both."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other.

"Why?" Bailey asked. "Why are you taking such an interest in us?"

Cody nodded.

"Well, that, my friends, is classified information. I can, however, assure you that I'm only here to help you. Now, please, sit." He gestured to the chairs across from him. Cody and Bailey sat down, sitting as far away from each other as possible. Dante just nodded and smiled.

"Now, Cody...you've been feeling different, haven't you? Like you've fallen out of love with Bailey?" Cody nodded, startled, while Bailey looked at him in shock.

"Well, I can assure you BOTH that this is not the case. See, I'm a researcher at a small facility off the coast of Africa." Dante continued.

"What do you research there?" Cody asked, curious.

"I'm afraid that I can't tell you that, but what I CAN do is get you both to the facility, and try to figure out exactly what's happened to Cody."

Bailey had kept pretty quiet until this point.

"But I thought you already knew what was wrong with him?" Cody was shocked to find himself disgusted at what Bailey had said. Something WRONG with him?

Dante looked toward Cody.

"Calm down, Cody. She's just worried about you. Now, Bailey, I do NOT know what is wrong with him. But I DO know what ISN'T wrong with him. I can explain more about my suspicions, and my theories once we get to the island. But it's up to you. Both of you. I'm not going to kidnap you. Do you want to know what's going on?"

A/N: Wow, this one was really short. But...well, it explains a little more about Dante's backstory, and what he does. If I made it seem before like he was a teenager, I do apologize. He is not. We'll find out more in the next chapter. Hope you guys like this chapter, feel free to review. Have a nice day!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:...boredom is my current state of being. Therefore, I shall write to relieve my tedium! Also, prepare for some science in this one. So let me put on my Cloak of Creativity (nerdy enough?) Enjoy!

8

Bailey answered for both of them.

"Of course. If there's anyway you can help us, then we'll take it. Isn't that right, Cody?" She asked, looking towards him.

Cody swallowed his anger. He couldn't understand why he was feeling so violent towards Bailey.

"Y-yeah." He said, clenching his fists. He gulped, and looked at Dante. "Do you think you can make me...normal?"

Dante nodded.

"I believe that, between the three of us, not to mention the people that I work with, we can definitely help you. Cody," here, Dante leaned forward in his seat, and met Cody's eyes, "Cody. There is NOTHING wrong with you. I need you to understand that. It ISN'T anything you can control. We CAN help you, alright?"

Cody swallowed. He felt like his heart was in his throat. He nodded.

"Then let's go. There's a helicopter waiting for us up on the helipad." Dante got up from his chair, and gestured for the two to follow him.

The helicopter was a thing of beauty. Just seeing it made Cody excited. It was a dual rotor chopper, and looked pretty advanced.

"Say hello to my baby, Whitney. Her two rotors allow her to ascend or descend at pretty rapid speeds, though it's highly dangerous to do so. The tail is longer than standard for most helicopters, to give it more mobility. This beauty is more aerodynamic than a shark. I designed and built her for speed and maneuverability. What do you think?" Dante asked, grinning.

"It's...certainly big." Bailey said. Cody sighed, exasperated. She never saw the big picture. He noticed that Dante kept looking at him. He was starting to get pissed. Why was everyone looking at him like he was a freak? He wasn't a freak...was he? He unclenched his fists. He had clenched his fists? He let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"CODY!" Dante shouted.

Cody snapped back into reality to notice that Dante and Bailey had already boarded the helicopter He rushed to join them.

_I can't do this anymore. I need to hurry. I need to get better._ Cody thought frantically. That's when he started thinking that he really was crazy.

There, above Bailey's head, was...some sort of...apparition. A ghostly figure was floating above her head, beckoning to him.

"_They hate you, you know. Bailey wants you dead, she hates you. And why shouldn't she? You're a FREAK. An abomination that everyone hates. He's not going to help you, he's going to lock you up and poke and prod you until you start squealing. You think they're your friends, but they all hate you. They hate you you freak, YOU LITTLE FUCK!" _The thing was screaming at him now, making violent gestures with its limbs.

Cody shook his head, and closed his eyes tight. When he opened them again, the apparition was gone. He shook his head, and boarded the chopper.

"Won't Mr. Moseby wonder where we are?" Bailey asked Dante.

Dante smiled.

"No, I don't think so. I left a note explaining the situation. Not much he can do, anyway." Dante laughed.

Cody shut his eyes in preparation for the trip, but couldn't go to sleep.

"Here, take this. You'll be asleep in no time." Dante handed him a pill, which Cody swallowed. When he closed his eyes this time, he promptly blacked out.

When he opened up his eyes, the first thing he saw was Bailey looking over him.

"Cody, you're awake!" She said, smiling. "Good morning! How did you sleep?"

Cody was surprised to find that he once again felt the love he had for her.

"I love you, Bailey. I couldn't feel it before, but I...can feel it now. I love you, and I just wish that what happened never happens again!" He embraced her, both of them crying, when Dante walked into the small room that Cody had woken up in.

"Good morning. While you were asleep, we...well, I'll just come out and say it. We injected you with a prototype chemical we've been developing that stabilizes brain waves. And it appears to have worked. But I doubt it will be permanent. We're working on a more permanent solution, but it will take time. But have no fear. We'll find one soon. We have the top minds in the world working here to help you." He said, smiling.

Bailey sobbed tears of happiness, and kissed Cody frantically.

"I'm just glad that I've got him back, if only for a little while." She said.

A/N: And with that, another chapter ends, and instead of answers, we just get more questions! What's going on? Find out NEXT TIME! Have a good day, and feel free to review.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Alright, I feel I must apologize to my readers, few as they may be. Its been a short while since the last update, and, while it was indeed a short break, I really don't have an excuse as to why I DIDN'T update it. I have plenty of time to write, and its not like the chapters are that long. I just got lazy, and for that, I do apologize. Anyways, on with the story! Oh yeah, and this chapter will contain some...graphic...images. Just a warning. 

The noisy alarm went off once again. Cody groaned as he got up.

_I hate having to get up every single morning at 5._ He thought. He smiled as he looked over at Bailey. She slept on the couch in the room he stayed in every night, to help keep an eye on him. She was his angel, the light in his darkness.

_I guess I better get ready. Dante said he had something important to tell me today._ Cody thought as he got dressed. He glanced over at Bailey's sleeping form one more time before he left for the lab. And then he saw the apparition from before, a white, misty form floating above Bailey's head. As he watched, it transformed into Bailey's head.

"_You think I love you? After the way you treated me? HA! Ridiculous. I can't STAND you, you little FREAK! You say you love me, but your words are just poison in the dark! Besides, why would ANYONE love you?" _Here, the spectral image of Bailey laughed, a demonic sound that made Cody's knees threaten to give out, "_You, the weak, pathetic creature that dares to call yourself a man? You're just a shadow of the one everybody looks up to, the one everyone admires, no matter what prank he pulls. They only bother to be around you because they pity you, you little FREAK! And you know it, too, you MONSTER! You knew that everyone despises you, that no one would care if you dropped off the face of the earth, and so you bottle up your rage, biding your time. Its okay to feel angry, Cody. Its okay to want to feel their flesh tear in your hands, to feel their blood run through your fingertips, to hear their bones crack under the pressure. To want to tear out their still beating hearts, and rip it in half. To feel their lungs pulsate in your hands as they try to draw their last breath, but you SQUEEZE, NO LAST BREATH FOR THEM, HAAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAAHAAHAHAHAA!" _The image cackled wildly as Cody ran out of the room, his heart racing and his legs wobbling, with his head pulsing from a terrible migraine. He leaned against the cold steel walls of the corridor as he tried to calm himself.

_Calm down, Cody, its all in your head, it isn't real._ He leaned his head against the wall, and closed his eyes.

"Cody?" Dante came running up to him. "Are you alright? You seem a little freaked out."

Cody nodded. Dante stared at him.

"You saw one again, didn't you?" He asked.

Cody looked up at him, shocked.

"W-what are you talking about? Just a bad dream, that's all." Cody replied, not wanting to sound insane.

Dante looked at him grimly.

"Follow me." He said, then walked off down the corridor. Puzzled, Cody followed him.

"I'm married, Cody." Dante said, as they walked down the corridor. "Or rather, I WAS married. The being that was my wife is no more. About 4 years ago, my wife, Gemini, and I were working with a special sect of the government. Our goal was the capture, and taming of a being I have since dubbed LURKs. These beings are present everywhere, but they're generally not that hostile. In fact, they're usually beneficial, sorting through your mind and eradicating negative thoughts and emotions."

Cody could do nothing more than nod as he followed Dante down the featureless corridors. He tried to remember the turns they made, but there were so many, and so often, that he soon gave up. Dante continued explaining.

"Our goal was to use these creatures to eradicate all traces of pain in a soldier's body. The first super soldier, if you will. A man that will feel no pain, no matter how much harm you deal to him. Our first few experiments were a success. Of course, we didn't start on humans, we started on monkeys. Bit inhumane, if you ask me, but better than having an enraged psychopath who can't feel pain running around. But the monkey's couldn't feel pain, not in the slightest bit. We even lopped one's arm off, and it didn't even realize it until it tried to scratch its back. Yeah," he said at Cody's expression, "you don't have to lecure me on animal rights. But how else would we know if it felt extreme pain or not? As distasteful as it was, it had to be done. So we kept on experimenting with monkeys, and kept recording the results. Gemini...poor Gemini, she got tired of it. She volunteered to be the first human test subject. Of course, I was against this. But I was outvoted. The others thought that even if something did go wrong, a woman would be calm enough to handle it." They came to a solid steel door, marked with the word "RESTRICTED" all over it. Dante swiped a card, and entered. He gestured for Cody to enter. Inside was a viewing room of sorts, like you would see in an execution room. But the viewing port was closed, and Dante avoided looking at it at all costs. Dante gestured to a chair.

"Please, you'll want to be sitting down for this." He said. As soon as Cody was seated, and still not looking at the viewing port, swiped a card through a reader beside the port, and typed in a few numbers. The shutters on the viewing port slid upwards, and Cody gasped at the scene that awaited him on the other side.

A woman, not too bad looking, was screaming at one of the walls, and beating on it with her fists. Cody couldn't make out what she was saying, until she noticed that the shutters were now open.

"YOU BASTARD, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! LET ME OUT, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME! I ALWAYS WANTED TO TEAR OUT THEIR EYES, AND, OH, HOW THEY TASTED! JENNY WAS PARTICULARLY DELICIOUS, HER FLESH HAD JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SALTINESS TO IT! I ENJOYED FEELING THEIR BRAINS TEARING APART IN MY BARE HANDS, THE FEELING OF THEIR THROBBING, BLEEDING FLESH AGAINST MINE!" The woman cackled.

"That," Dante said, "is my wife. We still don't know how it happened. All we know is that something buried deep in her mind thrust itself violently to the top when we injected the LURK into her. We DO have some theories, though." Dante closed the port, and led Cody out of the room. As they walked down the corridors again, Cody recognized where they were going. They were headed back to his and Bailey's room.

"Dante...I'm so sorry about what happened to your wife. I know that probably doesn't help, but..." Cody started.

Dante held up a hand.

"Don't worry about it, Cody. I'm helping you because I've seen the way that Bailey looks at you, and the way you look at her, and I can tell you two share something special. A love that many people never find, either because they're just unlucky, or because they give up. I don't want this to ever happen to anyone else again. I don't want Bailey to have to see you that way."

"You mean..."

Dante nodded.

"Given time, you would be exactly like that Cody. The thing, the apparition you've seen, that is a LURK. See, just like humans, there are evil LURKs and there are good LURKs. These things, these beings are far more intelligent than humans are. But we have one thing they don't. Passion. Creativity. Love, Cody. And it is with love that we shall destroy this LURK that's been trying to drive you insane. The serum I mentioned, CURE, its nearly perfected. And I believe that, with the help of you and Bailey, we can finish it. Then we can use it, and destroy that LURK."

Cody gulped.

"If we perfect CURE, and if it works, doesn't that mean that you can use it on your wife?"

Dante's look grew somber.

"No...the LURK in her has had too much time. Using CURE on her would leave just a husk. Its already consumed her essence. Her soul, if you will. But, DAMMIT, I WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!" Dante ended shouting, and he slammed his fist against the walls of the corridor. Tears burned shiny tracks down his face.

"I miss her so much, Cody. I miss her smile, her laughter, the way her cheeks grew flushed when she was lecturing me about emptying out my coffee cup. I won't allow Bailey to lose you. I couldn't face myself if that were to happen." Cody gently gripped his shoulder.

"Dante...I trust you. I believe in you. I know, deep down, that you can help me." Cody said to Dante's back.

Dante turned around, his eyes crinkling as he smiled.

"I won't let you down, Cody. Now go get some sleep. We'll continue tomorrow. You've earned some rest, with all that you've learned today." He turned to leave. Cody stopped him

"Hey, wait. What was it that you injected me with?"

Dante sighed.

"That will have to wait until tomorrow. Now go see the woman you love. Spend the day with her. We have a lovely garden. Maybe the lemurs are playing out there today." And with that he left Cody standing at his door. When he entered, Bailey was yawning and stretching. He grabbed her, and hugged her tight. Then, looking into her eyes, he kissed her with all of his being. When he backed away, Bailey grinned at him.

"Well, what was that for?" She asked.

"To show you that I love you, and that I want to be with you forever. You're my everything Bailey, my angel." Cody looked deep into her eyes as he said this. Bailey smiled.

"Well, shouldn't you be in the lab?" She said. Cody shook his head.

"No, Dante...explained some things to me, and told me that I should spend the day with you. So come on! We haven't explored this place at all!" Laughing, he grabbed her hand, and dashed out of the room.

Several hours later, Bailey and Cody were eating good old fashioned American burgers at one of the tables in the garden. The lemurs were, as Dante said, out playing around in the garden. They sure weren't shy. One of them sat on Bailey's shoulders as she fed him some home made french fries. Cody was playing rock, paper, scissors with another one...and he wasn't doing so well. Bailey laughed as he lost to the lemur again.

"I guess he's just to smart for you, Cody." She smiled at him.

Cody looked up, and saw the LURK, hovering above Cody's head. This time, it was just a sphere of white mist.

_"Oh, you play your games, and act like you're happy, but I know how you REALLY feel. Go ahead. Snap the little lemur's neck. Show him who's boss. Teach the other lemurs that your'e not one to be trifled with. Then snap the little bitch's neck. You know you need it, to feel your rage overflow, to feel her pretty little neck snap under your hands. She already knows you're a freak, everyone knows. Its no big secret that you're a little monster. They know why your dad left. Oh, he only left because of YOU, you little MONSTER! YOU LITTLE FREAK! HE LEFT YOUR MOTHER BECAUSE OF YOU, YOU LITTLE PSYCHO BRAT! Its ALL your fault that your dear, caring mother cries every night because she can't find anyone to love her. Its your fault that your brother had to grow up fatherless. Its all your fault." _

Cody clenched his fists.

_Go away, go away, go away, go away._ He thought, trying to will the thing away.

The "thing" just laughed.

_"You can try and make me go away all you want, but I'll always be here. I'll ALWAYS be there, behind every irrational decision, behind every pissed off glare, behind every corner, in every shadow. Nothing you do can make me leave. Face the facts, kiddo. You're stuck with me."_ The Lurk, cackled.

Bailey was getting worried. She ran over to the wall, and pressed the button on the intercom system located there.

"Dante, something's wrong with Cody! Please come here to the gardens, I don't know what to do, I'm scared!" She practically screamed into the intercom. A reply came shortly.

"I'm on my way."

A/N: Oooh, a longer chapter. Could it be that the rest will be long as well? Anyways, please tell me what you guys thought about this chapter, I did a few things differently, (i.e., it being longer, trying to be more descriptive, etc.). Hope you guys enjoyed it, I worked REALLY hard on it.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I can feel the creativity just GUSHING out of my brain. Eww, that sounded nasty, didn't it? Anyway, shout-out time! Just one this time.

CAILEY: I agree, I'm not a big fan of the LURKs, either, but they're not all bad, as you'll soon see. Not right now, but soon. Hehehe. And thank you, I'm rather proud of Dante. Him and Gemini will be in the, dare I say it? PREQUEL? Yeah, I'm thinking of doing a prequel to People Change (not such a good title, now that I think about ti, but oh well.) Not a sure thing, but I AM thinking about it. Yeah, I sure HOPE that Dante can help Cody. Gemini?...We'll see. I've got plans for her.

Thank you, everyone, for the reviews, and the support. I shall NOT disappoint you! On with the story!

Cody was lost. He was running through a blank, featureless environment. He wasn't frightened by this, in fact, if anything, he was relieved by it. Clean, white, organized. Just how he liked it. Everything had a place, and that place was the only place for that thing.

He didn't know how he got here. He couldn't remember anything. All that he was, all that he knew, was running. He thought that if he kept running, maybe he would find himself. That's when he heard a voice.

"Cody! CODY! Oh god, please don't leave me, Cody, not again, please just wake up, please wake up and smile at me and tell me that everything is fine, please please PLEASE WAKE UP CODY!"

He gave the voice no heed, and kept running. He didn't feel the least bit tired as he ran through a forest of white. He kept hearing that voice, it kept screaming his name.

"CODY, PLEASE ANYTHING PLEASE JUST COME BACK TO ME!" The voice sounded as if its owner was crying. He thought it sounded familiar, but paid no attention to it, and kept running. Then he heard another voice.

"Cody...if you can hear me...fight it. Come back to us. I know that you're confused. And I know that you're feeling lost. Its all in your mind, Cody. You need to wake up. Now. Cody, listen to me, CODY! SHIT, he's fading! Bailey, you have to say it. Your's is the only voice he'll hear now." The girl's voice came back, still sounding choked up. Cody stopped running to listen to it.

"Cody? This is Bailey. Please, I need you to wake up. I know that, sometimes, you get scared. And, that you don't like to admit it. But sometimes, Cody, you just have to trust someone. Please, Cody, trust me. Come back to us. Come back to me." Cody was lost in thought, struggling to remember. It was right there, at the edge of his mind, and yet he couldn't grasp the thought yet.

"Cody? Don't you recognize me? Its me, your angel. You said you can't live without me. Well, I can't live without you! Please just come back to me. I need you here with me." The voice paused. "Cody...I love you." And with those three words, Cody woke up.

He found himself lying in a bed, but he didn't recognize the room he was in. He saw a girl clutching at him, sobbing with relief, and a man smiling at him, his eyes still shining with tears left unshed.

"Cody...you're alright." The man said. Cody blinked.

"Cody? Is that my name? Who are you? Why do you keep grabbing me?" This last sentence was said to Bailey, who looked at him with confusion.

"Cody...don't...don't you recognize me? You said you loved me...you said you would never leave me. Why...Why won't you smile?" She said, glancing at Dante, who shook his head.

"Cody. Look at me." Dante said to him. Cody's eyes darted nervously up to meet Dante's.

"You need to focus, Cody. You need to remember who you are. You need to concentrate." Dante commanded him. Cody just blinked.

"Who are you, who thinks to command me? Who are you that presumes to be my master?" Cody glared at Dante. Bailey started panicking.

"What's it done to him, Dante? Where has he gone?" She said to Dante, trying to hold back the tears. Dante shook his head.

"I don't know, Bailey. All we can hope to do now is to keep him under sedation until we figure out what to do with him." Bailey looked up at him in alarm. "I'm sorry...that's all I can do for him. We can run some more tests, but..." Dante injected the sedative into Cody's arm. Cody blinked, then fell backwards. "I'll be blunt with you, Bailey. There's not much hope that he'll come out of this unscathed. This is something Cody has to do. No one can help him. This is his battle." And with that, Dante left the room, with Bailey crying over Cody's still body.

A/N: REWRITTEN, AND THE STORY WILL NOW HOPEFULLY HAVE A SATISFACTORY ENDING! That's right, guys. I'm going to continue this story! Hope you guys enjoy it!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Been awhile, not feeling the creative flow. But the wait is over, so here ya go! Also, this is several days after the last chapter.

Bailey was sobbing in what was now her room.

"Cody..." She mumbled through her tears. Then there was a knock at the door. She went to open it, and found a letter there. She was starkly reminded of that time back on the S.S. Tipton...It seemed so long ago. She picked it up, and started reading it.

_Dearest Bailey:_

_I am going away. Far away, where no one will ever find me. For if no one can find me, then I won't be able to hurt anyone but myself. I'm sorry that I have to leave you, but I couldn't stand it if I hurt you. Please don't try to find me, I need you to understand this. This is all for you, Bailey. I hope that, in time, you will be able to love another, because if you stay with me, there's every possibility that I'll end up hurting you. Please, for the sake of all that's holy, don't follow me. Try to suffice yourself with keeping the memories we have together. Remember the time we snuck out after curfew, and took an amazing walk around the Sky Deck? Then Kirby caught us, and we got in so much trouble! Or when I came all the way to Kansas to tell you that I still loved you. Bailey...please, don't come after me. I love you, and I couldn't live with myself if I caused you the slightest bit of pain._

_Love,_

_Cody Martin_

Bailey re-read the letter to make sure that she read it right. That's when Dante came sprinting up the corridor. He came to a skidding halt in front of Bailey, gasping for air.

"Bailey! Cody's sedation wore off, and he got away before we could get him strapped down! Have you seen..." Bailey showed him the letter. He read it over, then gave it back to Bailey silently.

"Bailey...this might be for the best. He can't hurt you anymore." Dante started, but Bailey started screaming at him.

"YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND! WE'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL TO BE TOGETHER, BUT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED, WE'VE STUCK THROUGH IT! I'M NOT LEAVING HIM ALONE!" She was infuriated now, her face growing blood red. At first, Dante was taken aback, but then, slowly, a smile crept across his face.

"Just like her..." He whispered. Bailey slapped him.

"JUST LIKE WHO! DON'T IGNORE ME!" She kept screaming at him. He shushed her by putting his hand over her mouth.

"Nothing, Bailey. We'll commandeer a few satellites, and start searching for him. We're on an island, after all. He couldn't have gotten far. Don't worry, we'll find him." He smiled at her, and removed his hand.

"I just..." she fell back on the bed, her face buried in the pillows, "I can't live without him."

Dante looked at her.

"...Get some sleep, Bailey. It's late. We'll start the search tomorrow." He turned to leave. Bailey's voice stopped him.

"Dante?" She started. "What was it that you told Cody? The other day, I mean."

Dante paused.

"I told him about my wife. Her name is...was, Gemini. She suffered from a similar ailment. But she didn't come out of it...But you don't need to hear this, Bailey. Now," he said, "get some sleep." He left Bailey, who tried her hardest to sleep, but just ended up crying until she passed out from exhaustion.

A/N: So...what did you guys think? I mean, about the plot twist? Review please! And have a WONDERFUL day!


	9. Chapter 9: Finale

A/N: ...I am so sorry for that last update guys. I did not mean to upload that really, really, really early form of Chapter 9. T_T Please find it in your hearts to forgive me, for Chapter 9, the final version is finally here! ENJOY!

Cody dipped his head underwater, and washed his mouth out. Oh how he missed his toothbrush!  
"Oh well, when you're trying to save the love of your life, you have to make some sacrifices, I suppose." He sighed. That's when he heard the rustling from the bushes behind him. He picked up a large stick, and swung himself around, ready to defend himself if necessary. That's when a shapeless mist appeared from the bushes.

_"Hello, Cody."_ The apparition said. Cody shivered slightly in fright.

"W-what do you want!" He cried.

The apparition shook, as if laughing.

"_Your life._" The apparition flew towards Cody, who swung the stick, knowing that it probably wouldn't do anything. The apparition slammed into Cody's chest, sending him flying across the small clearing, smashing into a tree and cracking it in half. Cody's head fell, as he plummeted into unconsciousness.

**IN CODY'S MIND**

** Cody looked around the blank, featureless forest. He knew where he was. He was trapped in his own head. He screamed and hit one of the trees in frustration, but only succeeded in hurting his fist. A small square appeared, floating in mid-air. Interested Cody walked over to it and looked into it. It was a sort of...television. But he soon realized that he wasn't watching any show...but his own body being controlled by the LURK.**

_**"FACE IT KID! YOU'RE STUCK IN THERE! WHILE I GET TO RUN AROUND FREE!" **_**The LURK cackled in his mind.** _**"I THINK I MIGHT GO PAY A VISIT TO THAT LITTLE GIRL OF YOUR'S." **_**Cody saw the LURK grin evilly. Cody screamed and beat on the walls**_**, **_**but he couldn't do anything. He watched as the LURK walked through the jungle, quickly and with purpose. He saw the LURK come to the facility. Cody started yelling.**

** "YOU LEAVE HER ALONE! SHE'S DONE NOTHING, LEAVE HER ALONE! TAKE ME! LEAVE HER ALONE!" He screamed as he saw the LURK punch the guards in front of the entrance to the lab. The guards didn't crumple...they slammed into the exterior walls and left massive holes where they crashed through. Cody knew they were dead. But he couldn't do anything. He slid down the tree he was leaning on, tears running down his face.**

** "Please...please take me."**

** "**_**BUT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND CODY? I ALREADY HAVE YOU! AND NOW WHAT I WANT IS NOTHING MORE THAN THE DESTRUCTION OF YOUR WORLD!" **_**The Lurk was still cackling. Cody watched as the LURK calmly walked into the main lab, where Bailey was with Dante.**

"Cody! You're back!" Bailey started to run to him, but Dante held him back.  
"No, Bailey. Look at his eyes...they're different." He said to her.

"_**THAT'S RIGHT, I'M FREE! THE LITTLE TWERP LET HIS GUARD DOWN AND NOW I'M HERE TO WRECK HAVOC!"**_ The LURK dashed towards Dante, who didn't have enough time to do more than flinch, when the LURK slammed Cody's fist into Dante's midsection, and lifted him up.

"_**Now you'll pay for what you've done to us. We are angry, and I'm am the vengeance they asked for!" **_The LURK flung Dante across the lab, smashing him through the lab's test chamber. Dante twitched where he lay as Bailey screamed.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She screamed and ran towards the LURK and punched him square in the face. The LURK took the blow well, and he just grinned at her.

"_**You'll have to do more than that, love." **_He grabbed Bailey's fist, and twisted, breaking her wrist. Bailey fell to the ground, crying, not from the pain, but because Cody was lost.

"Cody...please...let him go...please..." The LURK stood menacingly over her, cackling.  
"_**Cody can't help you now, little girl!" **_The LURK stopped laughing suddenly, as Bailey stood up with her hair over her eyes. She took hold of her broken wrist, and cracked it back into place. An otherwordly aura surrounded her.

"**You have made us angry. You have betrayed our laws, and done nothing but harm to the boy and girl. You know what must happen." **Bailey's body took a fighting stance, as the LURK in Cody's body stood in shock. Inside the head they now shared, Cody cheered, but was just as confused as the LURK.

**"Die." **Bailey's body disappeared with the speed at which she moved, and reappeared in front of the LURK, and shaping her hand into a claw, slammed her hand through Cody's body. As her hand exited the other side, a pulsing shadow could be seen. The shadow screamed.

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I AM IMMORTAL!" **_The LURK's words were cut off as Bailey's hand clenched, and crushed the shadow. Cody felt himself regain control of his body, and he stared at Bailey as the otherwordly glow left her. She started to collapse, but Cody was quick and grabbed her and held her. She looked up at him.

"Cody?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer.

He nodded, getting a little choked up.

"CODY!" She knocked him over, hugging him tight.

He laughed a bit, smiled, then hugged her back.

"Is...is it over?" Bailey asked.

Cody sighed.

"Yes...yes it is, Bailey."

A/N: Guess what guys? THE END! Yep, that's right, the adventure is over...for now! I will DEFINITELY be doing a sequel to this one, my most POPULAR fanfic so far! So once again, guys, thank you so much for all the support, and I am SO SORRY that it took so long to end it. But I wanted to make it perfect for you guys! Feel free to inbox me any questions you have, whether its about this story, or my future endeavors, and again, thank you so much for the support. It makes my day so much brighter to see those reviews and see people saying that they like my work. Oh, and an update on Rindar, I will be working on that still, but its still not going to be my main focus. So, I hope you enjoyed this fanfic, I know that I enjoyed writing it! So until next time, dear readers, this is Karn Relique...signing off. Have a FANTASTIC day!


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